but it has also revealed where american politics are. in year 12 of this war. nobody is outraged by the prospect of it being all the way over. nobody is shooting this balloon down. now it is time for "the last word with lawrence odonnell". >> the nra met its worst nightmare today and his name is joe biden. >> the nra is a friend of freedom. >> i want to thank the national rifle association. >> they do a terrific job. >> we have the craziest people. >> too much weaponry in all the wrong hands. >> but there are also thing that is we know. >> he has a lot of friends on the hill. >> the vice president's task

force powwow. >> there is no room. >> not to give an inch of ground. >> there is no room for compromise. >> we have another school shooting in taft, california at the same moment the nra is at the white house. >> they want change it is simple. >> more guns are not the answer. >> no one hunts with an assault rifle. >> the newtown tragedy, tucson and the movie theater massacres. >> is part of what sets america apart from the rest of the world. >> he called for armed guards in schools. >> call me crazy, you sir, are [ bleep ] in the head.

>> as vice president joe biden was conducting a meeting at the white house today, a 16-year-old student was shot today when a student walked into the school and started firing. the shooter is now in custody. the vice president announced today that he plans to deliver the recommendations on tuesday. today he indicated what some of them might be. >> there is a surprising -- so far surprising recurrence of suggestions that we have universal background checks not just close the gun show loop hole private sales. i have never quite heard as much talk about the need to do something about high-capacity magazines. the question of the ability to do research on the issue of gun violence.

>> all of those items were rejected today by the national rifle association when james j baker met with the vice president and afterwards the nra released this statement. former republican campaign strategist mark mccinon wrote this. former republican campaign strategist mark mccinon wrote this.

joining us tonight from texas, do you think there is any chance of congressional republicans getting the message that you are trying to deliver to them now? >> well, i would sure hope so. it seems so obvious and there are so many common sense options here. some of which were outlined by the vice president that would not impact in anyway anybody's right to hunt or use a rifle or gun or defend themselves.

nobody is attacking the ii amendment. there are common sense ideas to make our society safer for children and schools. it is a smart thing for the republicans to do some step forward with a plan. something. respond with an agenda and the notion of universal background checks is certainly makes sense as a start for a republican agenda and that is not too much. and yet the nra is clearly complisit with it. they are interested in gun sales and that is pretty clear. for god sakes that doesn't make sense.

it is becoming clearer and clearer that they are the ones with the agenda. it is ridiculous. they are creating a climate of fear simply as a means of fostering profits for guns. >> alex wagner, let's listen to what rush had to say about it. >> he is right about something here, he said, mark the date, it isn't going to be long before moderate republicans start going on television to push the notion that guns are hurting republican ares with independent voters and women. just like abortion, just like the pro livers are hurting independents just like immigration, the moderate

spineless linguini spined republican ares it ain't going to be long they wilt. >> alex wagner, rush predicts and we deliver. he said moderate republican ares start going on television and here we have mark. it sounds like there is going to be push back on the perfect sense and they seem to be ignoring that mark and others were right all along during this campaign. >> that was polling bias. that was polling bias and they kept the voters home and that is why mitt romney lost. yes. rush is sort of over compensating for what is a faulty and increasingly emotional argument. it is there. a vast majority of americans support stricter gun laws. it is an undeniable reality.

women voters ohio and colorado are going to look at the suggestion that you have guns in school and say that is a good idea. >> support for guns in school, i want to listen to what governor cuomo said yesterday. thinking very seriously. trying to position himself for a presidential campaign in 2016. enact the toughest assault ban in the nation period. new york state led the way on guns once before. sullivan's law in 1911 was a model law that required a permit

for possession of a handgun. new york led the way then let's pass safe and fair legislation and lead the way once again in saving lives. >> mark, there is a governor who hopes to be in contention for the presidential contention. is it conceivable to you that in the next campaign we could have democrats in primary as arguing who is toughest on guns and who wants to allow the craziest kinds of assault weapons to people? >> it seems to be heading that way. i have a question, which is okay, you can keep trying to talk about attacking the second amendment but why do you not

support 100% background checks. what is the answer to that and why is that an account on the ii amount and why do you support high capacity magazines? those two things. my question is to rush limbaugh and why is that an attack on the ii amendment. that is why they keep trying to go back to the attack the ii amendment. i would argue that the reading of the ii amendment is historical. it comes down to the republican party and what identity it wants to have on a host of issues. do you want to be the party of rush limbaugh and alex jones. do you want to be the party of hitler and stalin. do you want to be the party of

fanatics and sex or a modern party that speaks to america? >> mark, quickly before we go. is it your sense from the republican side as much as the democrats believe in what they are trying to do here, that they also are recognizing that this is helping democrats politically to kind of force republicans into a reactionary crazy position on these issues? >> i have been surprised, this is an issue where i thought there would be a rational response from a larger segment. they go to the talking points and you know so i have been disappointed at the lack of response where i think alex is right. i think the country is moving and society is moving and the

republican party seems content to go after a smaller democratic and not realizing that you want to hold on to the base but the base is shrinking and you do that by moving forward on the kind of issuing that alex was outlining. thank you for joining us tonight. and thank you for joining us. >> coming up, joe biden has all but said he is going to run for president in 2016. you should take that very, very seriously. and later, momentum is building rapidly for barney frank for senate. the politics of religion. the pastor who was forced to withdraw today because he said homosexuality is a sin.

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so as many of you by now know the pastor who was supposed to give the benediction now won't be because he did what a politically correct must never ever do, he quoted the bible. see, the bible can be present at the inauguration but anyone who quotes the passage that the president believe cannot be president. we have never had a president who believes everything in the bible. and we are supposed to have separation of church and state. so what is the bible doing at

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force and as he points out in his new column, his success might be partly attributable to the fact that republican ares like biden and feels he treats them fairly. does anyone know how to make a deal. it was a rethor are ical question. first he will have to beat hillary clinton. in a new ppp poll, 57% said they would like to see her as the democratic presidential candidate. joining me now. msnbc ezra's klein.

>> the joe by den that we have seen emerged is the one we know. i have seen him be concise, effective. very clear, on what objectives are and clear on what was possible and that seems to be the role he is playing inside the white house. it is a big role. it was born out of the increasing feel of biden. he makes these hilarious jokes. telling people they are going to have to spread their legs to get frisked at the senate. when he ran with president obama the idea of the obama candidacy was to get washington past it's

partisan warfare. that new kind of politics has lead to many successes. it has not led to less partisanship. the one part that has been a bright spot in cutting deals and getting a working relationship is this old school senate drenched back room dealing. in a funny way it has worked in this new bitter era. >> karen, it looks like we are headed for a biden versus clinton presidential primary in 2016 and make others. but it looks like joe biden and hillary are going to be in there. i don't know that i can bear to think about 2016. but anything is possible is what i would say at this point.

here is the thing about joe biden, he has street credit. think about when he went to the naacp. he felt he was natural and he had credibility with the audience. he was able to talk about the things that mattered to the audience. that is part of what he has brought to the white house. he was also a part of the foreign policy team. maybe it will be hillary clinton and maybe they will all three get in the room and say okay you go. we'll see. >> we were showing video of the joy with which joe biden approaches one of his ceremonial functions of swearing in of new senators. let's hear what he had to say.

>> hey mom. how are you? good to see you. i'm joe biden. come on mom. take a chaps. would you take a picture of this quickly. guys other than my mother this is the finest lady i have known. look, in my house there are mothers and then something else and something else and then there are mothers. >> ezra, every day is mother's day with him. >> watching him work is a joyous experience. and this is something that people around them talk about. there is a feeling that hillary clinton is politically in a class by herself. if she runs it is believed to be a juggernaut. but it is not a done deal that she runs. we have had, by 2016 and i agree with karen it chills me to the bone a bit.

it is more a gimmick. but by 2016 there have been eight years of obama's cool, collected presidency and that is what the country wanted in 2008 after eight years of shoot from the hip presidency with bush. people might be ready from something that is calmer than the sort of neither was for obama's in control nature that helped launch him to the presidency in 2008. >> i want to listen to something that was said yesterday in the state of the state address he said things that could lay the ground work for him having to run against joe biden and hillary clinton. his issue was assault weapons control. and he also talked about women's

issues. let's listen to that. >> maybe it's a man's world. but it is not a man's world in new york. not anymore. we are going to pass this women's equality act and change the life for my daughters and your daughters and your sisters and your nieces and your wife and your significant other and every person in this room. every person in this room. and we are going to do it this year. >> and karen, he may also try to prevent a woman hillary clinton from becoming the first woman president. >> my take on it is, he figures we don't know what hillary is going to do. i'm going to keep doing what i need to do to make sure i'm a viable option. last year we saw him do incredible things with regard to

gay rights. he has been planting these seeds and he happens to be doing the right things. but i think this is a savvy politician prepares himself in case he ends up being the guy. >> thank you for speculating with me tonight. >> thank you. coming up. the controversy over the president's nominations for his new cabinet. including those that we are trying to make quarter she'll. and a pastor gets in trouble for doing his job. quoting the bible. the trouble is he quoted the part of the bible that no one believes. so he had to withdraw today. but i will show you why the parts of the bible and everything he said are actually

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democratic president sends a republican and republicans object that is coming up. and making the case and in the rewrite tonight a fun episode of the politics of religion and this one will include a little gay sex just a little by which of course i mean it will include the ridiculous stuff that the bible sex about gay sex.

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will you filibuster? >> will intend to be aggressive in challenging his nomination and we will see how that goes in the days ahead. >> he is not talking about the nomination of chuck haegle. he is talking about what should be the least controversial nominations of all-time. he is talking about jack lew to be secretary of the treasury

are. there is not even one controversial episode in jack lew's entire life history. but senator jeff sessions who is not even a member of the committee that will definitely vote to confirm jack lew is trying to make his confirmation controversial perhaps because he still hasn't gotten over the fact that the senate judiciary committee voted against his nomination to be a federal judge in 1986. joy read the jack lew thing it doesn't get less controversial than this. poor little jeff sessions isn't

going to get to ask him questions in the hearing because he isn't on the hear. >> this is like confirmation theater. darn it they were nominated by barack obama. they have the bam of stain on them. lew's issue is his weird signature. >> right. eugene robinson. you have seen this stuff over the years. take us through what is going to happen with haegle. you have the secretary of defense. something that bill clinton did. and republicans are going no, we don't like this guy. i think what is going to happen is a lot of nose and complaining. i think you have heard a little

bit of softening in the next few days. but they are going to make a lot of noise on issues involving israel. >> can we get something straight about the secretary of defense. he doesn't make policy or foreign policy. and you have these nuts complaining about what they think chuck haegle might think about israel which the president of the it's is never going to ask him about. what he does is implement the president of the united states policy. his orders. get us out of iraq. yeah. >> they are acting like it would be the defense secretary that would decide whether or not we would go to war or not.

it comes down to the same thing. they can't accept that he beat his republican opponent twice in a row. they want to make the choices for him. >> there is nothing funnier than pretending that there is nothing more than one degree of difference on israel between the two parties ever. >> right. there is no difference for the record, the officials have said that security cooperation has never been closer between the united states and israel than under barack obama the policy is the same. recall though that everybody on the hill is raising money all the time. if they think they can raise money by beating up on the president then they will do so. rush are limbaugh has a half

interesting point to make about the haegle point now. >> obama is going to be the first democrat to actually cut the defense budget. i shouldn't say cut dismantle the military. this is more than cutting the budget. he wants to dismantle the military just like western europe did theirs. so get a defense secretary to preside over defense cuts, the result of the cuts is the dismantling of the military in order to pay for a growing welfare state. >> so inside that madness there is an interesting point. if you are going to do a defense

cut it is helpful to have a defense secretary who is a war veteran and a combat hero. somebody who is popular with the troops. so he has a credibility with the men and women with the members of the armed forces. there are going to be cuts to the military. we may want to remind rush that it has caused us to have the see quester. >> if you are a republican senator and you want to do the bidding of defense contractors. you don't want to go end him. that he in his own experience in combat and as a senator believes is un-necessary are. you don't want that argument with chuck. >> no you don't. he might actually do it. let's put what rush said in

perspective. these are cuts and actually, they will be cuts, i boldly predict that we will leave the united states spending more than the rest of the world combined and leave the united states with no rival in terms of global defense capabilities. and that is ludicrous. >> thank you very much for joining me tonight. >> coming up, the latest on the barnie frank for senate campaign and in the rewrite. tonight a bible study session. got the bible right here. it doesn't actually use the word homo sexual. but some anti guy churches have rewritten the bible as something

that god condemns. because the bible is wick et ap tie guy in it's original form and quoting the anti-gay passages of the bible was all a pastor had to do to get himself knocked out of the inauguration ceremony for president obama. ceremony for president obama.

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quoting the bible. the same bible president obama will be holding when he takes the oath of office. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much. i appreciate it. i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. your money needs an ally.

in tonight's episode of the poll things of religion, the bible strikes again. no better way to get kicked out of the inauguration than quoting the bible. that is what louis giglio did.

it took all of a day for something to surface in his past that made him non grata at the swearing in of the president who is in favor of gay rights. this story was posted yesterday that forced giglio that forced him to withdraw today. josh posted a transcript of a 15-year-old sermon that emphasized giglio's rapidly lgbt views including this tidbit about the gay rights movement.

>> of course giglio is wrong about the gay rights movement. he said the movement is not a benevolent movement and that is not true. but the rest of what he says is actually true. it is a movement to seize by any means necessary the feelings and the mood of the day to the point where the homosexual lifestyle is an accepted lifestyle and is again in full standing as it relates to family. yes, we do want to create the

feeling that the gay lifestyle is an acceptable norm in our society and is given full standing as any other lifestyle. that is exactly what the guy rights movement wants and what it has been achieving for years now. here is some more of what giglio got caught saying that got him kicked out of the inauguration. >> if you look at the council of the word of god. you come to the conclusion that it is not alternate lifestyle, it is not gay, but homosexuality is sin. it is sin in the eyes of god. and it is sin according to the word of god.

>> and there you have a classic washington gaffe. now i know some of you are saying no no no that is a terrible and hurtful and hateful thing to say. but this program uses the definition of washington gaffe written nearly 30 years ago. it is when someone tells the truth. and the truth is, that homosexuality is a sin in the bible. in his sermon, giglio quotes leviticus 18:32. you shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female. it is abomination. giglio also cited the new testament i corinthians.

and right in the mist of that pass sin right in the middle of that verse it satisfy and those who are homosexual it is clear. the bible uses the word afeminine. it turns out that there are new versions of the bible that use the word homosexual. the bible hasn't been unchangeable by people that god never chose the word homosexual to condemn them. the spokesperson for the inaugural commit was forced to

put out this statement today. we were not aware of pastor giglio's comments at the time of our selection and we and they don't reflect our desire to sell great the strength and diversity of our country at this inaugural and we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction and we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration' s vision of inclusion. in other words most democrats reject even know every word of the bible is the word of god. as i've pointed out in many previous are episodes of the

politics of religion. no one accepts all of the teaching of the bible. there are no literal followers of the word of god as presented in the bible left of earth. if there were any. they would have to be burning people at the stake all day every day. the bible orders that prostitutes be burned at the stake. the bible orders that the penalty for adultery is death. the bible orders that the penalty for not observing the sabbath is death. and there is no bible thumping church in the world that follows the word of god on all of those death penalties. not one. still the president following one of our most absurdest

traditions will put his hand on this book filled with things he does not believe, filled with things that no one in the united states of america believes and with his hand on this book he will recite the oath of office and his hand on this book is supposed to make you believe that he believes what he is saying in the oath of office even though the book is filled with things that you and he do not believe. now wouldn't it be better if the president's hand was on the shoulders of one of his daughters suggesting that he honors the oath as much as he honors his daughters? this time the book will be held

by a first lady who is a descendant of slaves but the holy book she will be holding does not contain one word of god condemning slavery. not one word. but that same book which spends hundreds and hundreds of pages condemning all sorts of things and couldn't find one sentence in here to condemn slavery, does indeed manage to find the space repeatedly to condemn gay people. as the now banished louis giglio says it does. and as the first lady is holding that book for the president, sitting somewhere near them is a pastor who the committee will make sure is more adept at hiding what that book actually

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these next three months are as important as the new deal and that is why i volunteered. >> that was barnie frank on this program last night. after i announced him to be the temporary senator. he has the support of massachusetts new junior senator elizabeth warren who will soon be the senior senator. >> congressman frank understands the workings of the financial markets.

if he is appointed i have no down the that he will be extraordinary. >> he also has the support of the boston globe and liberal groups who helped propel elizabeth warren into the senate. they are asking members to appoint barney frank. joining me now, adam green. why did you jump into this and why barney frank? >> elizabeth warren needs a strong knowledgeable progressive alley in the senate. he will be a fighter. but it must be said last night you kicked off a phenomenon right here. when you uttered the words

appointbarneyfrank.com. in the 24 hours since, hundreds of thousands of people talked about that on twitter, i'm proud to announce that our website, we have over 20,000 signatures urging governor patrick to appoint this man to the senate. >> the committee is an effective force in her campaign. the governor has to take notice of what you are doing. >> we are committed to ensuring that governor patrick has two strong bold progressives in his state. and he needs to know that bold progressives in massachusetts and the country are depending on him. and they are letting him know their opinion.